Lewis Cotlow
Lewis Cotlow (February 5, 1898 – 1987) was an American explorer, writer, filmmaker, and fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Lewis Cotlow
- Name
- Lewis Nathaniel Cotlow
- Born
- 5 February 1898
- Birthplace
- Brooklyn, New York, US
- Died
- 2 1987
- Place of death
- North Palm Beach, Florida, US
- Education
- New York University, George Washington University
- Awards
- Order of Magellan
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- explorer · film director · film producer · actor
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Lewis Cotlow (February 5, 1898 – 1987) was an American explorer, writer, filmmaker, and fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
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Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Lewis Nathaniel Cotlow • Born — 5 February 1898 • Birthplace — Brooklyn, New York, US • Died — 2 1987 • Place of death — North Palm Beach, Florida, US • Education — New York University, George Washington University • Awards — Order of Magellan
Biography
Biography
He was born to Nathaniel Cotlow and Lena (maiden name: Green) Cotlow. Cotlow served in the US Army during World War I and became a supercargo with the United States Merchant Marine. In 1919–1921, he traveled to the harbor of the Far East and the Middle East. He studied at New York University. Cotlow served in the naval intelligence USA during World II. After attending George Washington University he made more than 30 expeditions travelled to Africa, South America, Indonesia, and the Arctic, the Amazon, Australia, and New Guinea from 1930s–1950s to film. His first technicolor movie was filmed on location in Africa and was co-produced with a man called Armand Dennis (a wildlife photographer) On December 18, 1966, he married Charlotte Faith Mesenheimer. In his lifetime, he was awarded the Explorers Club Medal and Order of Magellan and was a member of The Explorers Club. He was also employed as a New York insurance broker. He left his collections to Cincinnati Museum of Natural History.
Books
• Passport to Adventure (1942) • Amazon Head-Hunters (1953) • Zanzabuku: Dangerous Safari (book and film, 1956) • In Search of the Primitive: An Independent Explorer's Life with the Last of the Exotic Peoples of Africa, the Arctic, New Guinea (1966) • Twilight of the Primitive (1971)
Films
• Through Africa Unarmed (c. 1937; lost) • Upper Amazon and High Andes Adventure (1941) • Savage Splendor (1949) • Jungle Headhunters (1949) • Zanzabuku: Dangerous Safari (book and film, 1956) • High Arctic (film, 1963)
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 20 August 2026.
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